Women's Bantabaa aspiration is always to tell a story that has never been told and bring a story to public that are always waving the flag of freedom yet standby silently with the concerning situation of the people, their narratives, their perspectives, their understanding of the world around them, without feeling that they are constantly defending their religious and cultural identity.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Falley Colley, who is alleged to have caused the death of one Kajili Sanneh said the deceased had forced himself on her wife some times in 2009at his(accused) own house in NemaKunda, West Coast Region.

“The deceased forcefully have sex with my wife who was in her menstrual period inside my house,”Falley Colley told a crowded courtroom.

Mr. Colley made these revelations yesterday at the Special Criminal Division as he defend his innocence of the allegedmurder. He denied the accusation.

Despite my wife refusal Colley added, the deceased went on to make love to her. He said he was not shocked because that was the second time he found the deceased on top of his wife.

He said when the deceased attempted to ran; he told him that there was no need for him to do so.

“Because I understand that my wife doesn’t love me”. He adduced that the deceased then apologized and went out.

In the evening, he said I went to my sister to lodged complain but I was attacked by the deceased.

“He threatened that he will beat me if I entered their compound . But my sister asked me to come in,” he added.

“And the moment I entered the compound, the deceased started throwing blows on me and my sisteraskedneighbors to hold him,” Colley adduced.

He further testified that he narrated the whole story to her sister and later went home only to be called by the Wellingara Police on the following morning that he was needed at the station.

He said at the station he found the deceased who claimed that he was beaten.

“ I did not beat him because we are related”.

Colley further stated that the deceased was taken to the hospital for examination but nothing was found to be in a good condition of health.

. “I was charged for trespass at the station and deceased was charged for rape”.

One Ousman Mballow of Banjul Haddinton Street has told the Special Criminal Division before Justice Ikpala of the High Court in Banjul that there were three wounds on Cherno Alieu Suwareh’s head, now deceased.

A barber by professional, Ousman said while he was at his salon, he received a called that he is needed at the Royal Victorial Teaching Hospital to barb a sick person.

Mballow was testifying against the two anti-drug officers, Ebou Lowe and Eku Grant who were on the 25th March 2011 alleged to have unlawfully caused the death of Cherno Alieu Suwareh by hitting his head with batons and knocking his head against the wall in Bakau Sanchaba.

“While I was cutting his hair, Cherno was shouting and I came to notice that there were three wounds on the right side of his head,” he said.

He added that the deceased’s hair was later put in a dustbin and his service was paid.

Both counsel for the accused persons did not cross-examine the witness.

Sulayman Jallow, a niece to the deceased also testified as state witness no 6. He alleged that the first accused person, Ebou Lowe used baton to hit his uncle while effecting arrest on him.

“When I entered the house I saw my uncle bleeding with his hands on cuff he said.

An unnamed young woman said to be the wife of an ex- soldier on Monday fainted at the entrance of National Drug Enforcement Agency's Banjul office where her embattled husband was shepherded into shortly after a guilty verdict was handed down.

“I am married with four children,” Lamin Darboe, fired from the military in the wake of the drug saga had pleaded with the court before the sentence was delivered.

He was sentenced to a ten-year prison term and a million dalasi fine in default to spend five more years in jail for possession of over 3 kilograms of cannabis sativa, an illicit drug he was impounded with at Sololosecurity check point in theCentral River Region in October last year.

The desperate looking woman was seen sobbing at the premises of the Banjul Magistrate’s Court.

She was among a crowd of family members and sympathisers who were wailing after the court’s decision to send Darboe to a ten-year jail term was handed down.

Inspector Buba Touray on Monday, July 18, 2011 went home as a free man after the magistrate decided to put an end to the four months trial for lack of conviction that the prosecution’s evidence was enough to jail the accused.

A native of Bakau in his 50s, Touray was arraigned at the Banjul Magistrate’s Court on February 27 on drug trafficking charge.

He was accused of been found in possession of 2 kilograms, 8 grams of drug (cannabis) in January this year in his house in Bakau.
He denied ownership of the drug.

The magistrate in his judgment held that Touray and all his witnesses, his wife and daughter remained ‘unshakeable’ even during cross-examination, who all insisted that, NDEA officers came with the same drug just to implicate Touray.

The magistrate further stated that prosecution has left the court in doubt because one Jarra, an NDEA officer who was mentioned throughout the trial was never brought by the prosecution.

“In that, the court held that the prosecution has woefully failed to prove its case beyond all reasonable doubts.”

Touray who went home with loved ones was weeping when he was pronounced innocent by the court.

“Thank you your worship,” he whispered while tears rolled down on his checks.

After three years of legal battle, the drug trial involving a former National Assembly member for Nianija constituency in Central River Region and former military officer is near conclusion.

Disowned by his ruling-APRC party in the wake of the drug saga, Dawda Manneh and Demba Baldeh are charged with possession and trafficking of illicit drug – cannabis - but pleaded not guilty.

When the case resumed on Monday July 18, 2011 at the Banjul Magistrate’s Court, the defense counsel has been given seven days to make final argument. That would be followed by the state lawyer seven days later before the magistrate will decide the fate of the two men, who dissociated themselves from over 9 kilograms of illicit drugs discovered in the vehicle of the former lawmaker. The former military officer was onboard.

Nine witnesses to the alleged crime testified against the accused persons.

Pro-government Daily Observer newspaper’s sports editor was fired after he was discovered to have browsed Freedom, a U.S based Gambian online newspaper, Observer’s acting editor-in-chief has revealed.

Mr Nanama Keita is alleged to have presented false information to a public officer when he petitioned The Daily Observer’s managing director to the president’s office on allegations of financial malpractices at the company, following his dismissal, he calls wrongful.

Editor Keita however denied any wrong-doing

“When it was realised by the IT expert that Mr Nanama Keita had browsed the Freedom newspaper, the MD [Pa Malick Faye] was left with no other option but to sack him,” Editor Alagie Jobe testified in a crowded courtroom on Monday at the Banjul Magistrate’s Court.

Critical to the regime of President Yahya Jammeh, Freedom is a Gambian online newspaper owned and edited Pa Nderry Mbai, a U.S based Gambian journalist. Journalist Mbai had worked for The Daily Observer and later The Point newspaper before he left for U.S. in 2004.

In his testimony, Editor Jobe said, the article on alleged financial malpractices against The Daily Observer’s managing director, Pa Malick Faye published on Freedom came after MD Faye privileged him to control a vehicle allocated to the editorial desk.

“I head the editorial department and the accused is answerable to me,” he said.

“A day after the vehicle was handed-over to me, I received a telephone called from the MD Faye at around 10 pm; that the editor of Freedom newspaper telephoned him on the claims that he (MD) bought a vehicle for me and [he is responsible] for other financial malpractices.”

He added: “That night I was summoned for a meeting alongside Assan Sallah, the news editor, marketing manager, and one Lamin Sanneh. The accused was not invited.”

Jobe claimed that the article that was published on Freedom newspaper was sent to them by a friend because, he said, they cannot access the website.

However, he told the court that he knew who sent the article the moment he read it. But the same Editor Jobe in a short while denied saying that statement when cross-examined by Neneh Cham, the defense counsel for the accused.

Jobe revealed that the accused was invited at the same night when his computer was screened by the IT expert and it was found that he has contacts with Freedom.

The moment all those things were discovered, he explained, the managing director ordered the seizure of Nanama’s computer.

Freedom, though, continued to publish articles related to the subject.

Jobe alleged the accused angrily left and wrote a statement when he knew that he could not be re-instated.

“He begged me many times to talk to the managing director,” editor Jobe revealed, referring to his former co-worker who had been with the Daily Observer company since 2003 shortly after completing his secondary school education and rose through various ranks from freelancer, columnist, staff reporter and sports editor.

“And after few days later,” editor Jobe went on, “We received investigators regarding the financial malpractices alleged by the accused.”

Nanama was subsequently charged after it was realised that the petition he wrote to the president about his wrongful termination was false, Jobe said.

Scores of women, who recently dropped their knives and vowed to stop female circumcision in a bid to promote the health of women, said they should not be blamed for their preceding actions because they were not aware of the consequences that the practice can caused to girls and women.

As much as these women regretted the act, they don’t want to take a morsel of blamed.

“I thought it was tradition and deep rooted culture which can never be change,” said one of the knife droppers Kaddy Sallah of Munkulata village.

“I don’t think I should be held responsible but hope that the young girls whom I have mutilated will forgive me.”

﻿﻿

ex-circumcisers

﻿﻿“I would not have known if it was not the intervention of the Gambia Committee for Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP), who has taken the lead to protect and save girls from the harmful practice,” she added.

GAMCOTRAP have over the years been very active and effective in the promotion of gender, women and children’s rights, particularly those relate to female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and other discriminatory practices.

Kaddy said she has been doing the practice for more than 20 years and have mutilated hundreds of girls and women.

“It was not intentional. I didn’t know that it affects the health of women. When I think about the consequences now, I cried.”

After eight years of legal battle, Abdoulie Sonko, believed to the leader of the 1996 Farrafenni military camp attackers was yesterday, convicted and sentenced to death by Justice Emmanuel Admadi of the High Court in Banjul.

Sonko was arrested in 2003 at his home village of Berending in Nuimi, North Bank Region, following which he was put under trial for trying to overthrow Jammeh’s government.

The atmosphere which greeted his conviction and sentencing was both chaotic and somber. The convict was uptight and in tears, yet he unsuccessfully managed to calm down a teary crowd of relatives and sympathisers.

Remanded for more than a week at the Mile 2 Central Prison, the ex-Permanent Secretary for Finance has being released on bail to an amount of D2.5 million, one Gambian surety who must deposit his title deed and the accused to deposit all international documents to the registrar at the High Court in Banjul.

His released followed a motion supported by 13 paragraphs file by his counsel, Pap Cheyassin Secka. “The motion states that the accused be granted bail pending the filing of new indictments against him,” Secka added.

“And we are ready, able and willing to satisfy any bail condition,” he adduced.

The ex-PS is yet to enter his plea as the state is yet to file new indictments after the the transfer of the case to the High Court.

It could be recalled that Serign Cham was earlier arraigned at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court on Monday 4 July on suspicion of economic crime for allegedly authorizing the sale of a developed plot of land in Kanifing Estate at the sum of D250, 000, 00.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Dodou Sanneh, a former reporter of the state owned television, Gambia Radio and Television Services, GRTS will defend his innocence on Monday, July18, 2011 against one count of false information imposed on him.
This development came following an announcement yesterday July 12 by the prosecuting police officer, Superintendent Sainey Joof that the state is satisfied with evidence against the accused person after calling three witnesses - a police officer and two GRTS employee.
His case is underway at the Banjul Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Ma-Nyima Bojang.
He is accused of giving false information to a public officer that he was wrongfully terminated after almost five years.
He found himself in a legal battle when he wrote a petition to the Office of the President concerning his unlawful termination.
However, he denied the charged.
Sanneh who is defending himself craved the court to adjourn the matter when the magistrate asked him to enter his defense.
“I want to secure the service of a lawyer,” Dodou added.
The magistrate subsequently adjourned the case.
‘The accused has the right to secure a lawyer at anytime of the trial,” she told the court.
It could be recalled that Dodou Sanneh, a former reporter of GRTS was sacked on 8 September 2006, while covering the presidential campaign of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), and reinstated within a week, given 20 days working leave, only to be sacked again on 20 November 2006.

A niece to the deceased, who is alleged to have being torture to dead by anti-narcotic officers has told the Special Criminal Division that the first accused person, Ebou Lowe used baton to hit his uncle, now a deceased while effecting arrest on him.
“The 1st accused hit him on the head with a baton many times, pull his Rasta’s and starts hitting his head on the wall” Isatou Jallow, a student tell the packed court room. She is testifying as the sixth prosecution witness.
“I saw everything because I was standing right front of his window,” she added. She further told the court that the 1st accused forced his uncle into the house because his hands were cuffed at the back. “He pleaded with them to put on his hat but the 1st accused continue beating him.”
Ebou Lowe and Eku Grant were alleged to have unlawfully caused the death of one Cherno Alieu Suwareh by hitting him on the head and knocking his head against the wall on the 25th of March, 2011 in Bakau.
After the incident he said, “I was called to the police headquarters to identify the accused person who were involve” she said.
“But I did not know the number of offices r who came to arrest my uncle” she said during cross-examination by lawyer Badou Conteh, counsel of the 1st accused person.
The witness denied seeing his uncle swallowing substance at the time of his arrest.
“My uncle does not consume drugs” she said. The counsel however put it to the witness that she wouldn’t see it because she was not present. But the witness remains defiant.
“I was standing right there and I saw the 1st accused hitting my uncle many times.”
She also denied the deceased being a drug trafficker or a sickly person.
During cross-examination with Lamin Camara, counsel for the second accused the witness said she did not have the opportunity to talk to deceased after the incident because he was in comma and later die.
“I couldn’t know the cause of the death because I am not a doctor” she said when the lawyer asked.
Edrissa Jallo who also gives evidence as the 7th prosecution witness said the deceased was bleeding all over when the officers were taken him away. “He was bleeding on his left and right temple but the 1st accused keeps hitting him.”
The witness however, denied doing any drug transaction with the deceased when the defense alleged. I’m putting it to you that you both are in drug trafficking business” lawyer Conteh advanced but the witness remained defiant.
His statement was tendered by lawyer Camara as evidence when the witness said his statement did mention about the second accused.
Testifying earlier was a police officer attached to the police headquarters. Jawo Keita who gave evidence as pw5 said he received the 1st accused person from the Brusibi police station. He added that a search was conducted in the 1st accused house in Banjulinding and a baton was found.
The baton was tender as evidence.
Case resumes 25, July 2011.

﻿ The criminal trial of former National Assembly Member for Nianija constituency in the Central River Region Dawda Manneh and Demba Baldeh ex-soldier has been yesterday July 12 adjourned for the second accused to call his witness.
Acting Principal Magistrate Taiwo Ade Alagbe of the Banjul Magistrate’s Court has told the second accused to call his witness(s) on the next adjourned date.
“This is the third time the case has been adjourned in the instance of the defense” state counsel, Ebrima Sanneh told the court.
The case has reached its climax and it is expected that both parties will adopt their briefs after the defense closes it case.
Former Nianija NAM, Dawda Manneh and Demba Baldeh are standing trial on charges of being in possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, as well as conspiracy. They were alleged to have conspired to traffic 9 kilograms and 260 grams of suspected drug (cannabis).

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

It is five years since journalist Ebrima Chief Manneh disappeared from the midst of his colleagues, family and loved ones. He was whisked away by plain clothed security officers from his office at The Daily Observer Newspaper on July 7, 2006. Chief Manneh was working with the pro-government Daily Observer Newspaper and since his arrest in 2006 his whereabouts remains unknown.The state has disassociated itself from Manneh’s disappearance and told the nation that the missing journalist is not under their custody. “The state should not waste any more time to investigate the disappearance of Chief Manneh, as there are reports that they vowed to do so along with the assassination of the slain journalist Deyda Hydara,” the first vice president of The Gambia Press Union (GPU), Mr Baboucarr Ceesay told The Daily News in an exclusive interview.

Excerpts

Five years on, Chief Manneh’s disappearance remained an unresolved matter, in spite of the vigorous advocacy for his release by both the Gambian media fraternity and international media organisations around the world. What workable solution do you think should be the next step to journalist Manneh’s long disappearance?

It is rather unfortunate to have a journalist gone missing in a country where his umbilical cord is buried from birth. The state should not waste any more time to investigate the disappearance of Chief, as there are reports that they vowed to do so along with the assassination of the slain journalist Deyda Hydara. And if he is under the custody of the state they should release him immediately and compensate him as ordered by the ECOWAS Court.
I also subscribe to the idea of a former GPU president who said at the congress that we can use investigative journalism to probe into the matter of the disappearance of our colleague. That does not mean that the state should not do their part. The investigation of journalist Manneh’s matter should be a must for the state. Chief came from a family with aging parents who like any other parent love to see the progress of their beloved child contributing his quota to the development of his family and the nation. His parents are desperate, not knowing his whereabouts for five solid years. His family, colleagues, friends and loved ones are still in a dilemma.

What is your reaction to the statement that Chief Ebrima may have gone through the back way to Europe for greener pasture?

What an unthinkable statement! How can someone who has not successfully investigated the matter claim that the missing journalist have gone through such perilous journey to Europe. The protection and the welfare of all Gambian citizens and all those resident in The Gambia is constitutionally the business of the state. The statement against him is definitely very unfair when he need the intervention of the state through investigation and bringing the culprits to justice accordingly.

The ECOWAS Court in Abuja, Nigeria has ruled in favour of Chief Ebrima and ordered for his immediate release and compensation with US$100,000, but yet to be heeded to by the state. Won’t this attitude of the state not create doubts whether Manneh is still alive?

That is the million dollar question. It is only the state that can clearly explain why they have not done anything about his compensation and immediate release. Though the lack of thorough investigation has bred clouds of doubts, but there is still no reliable report on his death. It is rational to perceive that he is still alive in the absence of an outcome of successful investigations to prove claims of his death. The case of Chief Ebrima Manneh, like the killing of Deyda Hydara cannot be forgotten. It will remain an ever pursued matter until justice is done. There is no ulterior motive, but to ensure that all and sundry live in a just society free from intimidation, arbitrary arrests, detentions without trial, killings and disappearances.

You are now the 1st vice president of GPU, what effort is the Union making to create a conducive media environment for journalists operating in the country so that there will be assurance that no ‘Chief Manneh’ or ‘Deyda Hydara’ scenario will reoccur in The Gambia?

That is a task that the Union cannot do in a vacuum or alone. We can only do that in collaboration with the government. This is why the government should wholeheartedly consider us as partners and not foes. The media is a very important instrument in development. This is clear to every leader and government. Problems always arise when the media wants to execute their constitutional mandate of holding the leadership accountable. In creating a conducive media environment, both the media and government are stakeholders, hence the need for greater partnership, instead of working in solitude and suspicion. The media is really ready to partner with the government for the progress of this country. A case in point is the meeting between the media chiefs and the head of state at State House. The media barons spoke out their minds. One of them reminded the state of the importance of section 207 of the Constitution of The Gambia that outlined the role of the media and another made a recommendation of the reviewing and repealing of the laws of sedition, defamation and libel which are media offences decriminalized by many democracies in the world today.

Is the media a threat to the state?

Absolutely no. The state should not have any phobia towards the media. The media has been universally recognised as the ‘Forth Estate’, it is next to the three arms of government – the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. This is an indication that the media is generally recognised as a partner to the state. If the primary drafter of the American Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson can write that he would prefer newspapers without a government than a government without newspapers in 1787, then why should a 21st century man hesitate to appreciate, tolerate and empower the media.

Some people are with the belief that journalists are also the creator of the environment in which they operate. What is your opinion about that?

Journalists are members of society existing as social beings like any other person. We have social responsibilities as well. What should be accepted here is that Gambian journalists are doing very well. Regardless of the unfriendly environment we operate, more young people are inspired to take up journalism as a career. I also believe that there is no irresponsible journalism in this country that can lead to anything like the Rwandan genocide. Because many people use Rwandan genocide as an epitome of what bad journalism can give rise to. Such situations should be used to gag freedom of expression and that of the press in another country. To stick to the ethics of journalism as our guiding principle is the daily singsong at the GPU and in all independent media houses in the country. I worked for five media houses in this country. There is no media house that works with a detrimental agenda.

20 women circumcisers from 150 communities in Lower River Region on Saturday publicly vowed to have abandoned Female Genital Mutilation at a ‘dropping the knife’ ceremony held at Soma Lower Basic School.
‘Dropping the knife’ symbolizes public declaration of abandonment of the deep-seated cultural practice of FGM, which has been scientifically proven inimical to the health and wellbeing of women, yet widely practiced.
“The dropping of the knife today is historic and add up to the change taking place in the promotion of the health and rights of Gambian women and children,” Dr Isatou Touray, Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP told the gathering of various women groups, local government heads, among others.
The event was the third of its kind organised by her organisation, GAMCOTRAP, who has taken the lead in the fight against FGM, through painstaking and costly sensitisation programmes.
Through its various funders, the women’s right body also provides alternative sources of income for circumcisers by facilitating the creation of small-scale business ventures to those who hitherto earn income from the practice.
“Dropping the knife of a circumciser is not an easy task especially when it is inherited,” said Madam Fatou Kinteh, a representative of UNFPA, one of the main funders of GAMCOTRAP’s activities.
She assured that her agency will continue to support efforts geared towards accelerating the eradication of FGM.
The first ever public declaration of dropping the knife was held in 2007 at the Independence Stadium in Bakau where eighteen women circumcisers publicly vowed to abandon female circumcision. This was followed by a bigger one held in the provincial capital of Upper River Region, Basse, in 2009 where over 60 women circumcisers have also declared to have stopped the practice.
Dressed uniformly in traditional Gambian costume, the women who have abandoned the practice danced alongside with women rights activists, in a manner that added credence to the celebration. The day-long programme also witnessed the performance of Kora maestro, Jaliba Kuyateh.
The former women circumcisers have stated that they have not only abandoned the practice, but regretted doing a bad practice that they hitherto deemed good. They even transform some of those messages into biting lyrics.
“You can only demand your rights when you know what right you have, and can only execute the rights when you know for what purpose,” Dr Touray believes.
Female circumcision is widely practiced in The Gambia. It had been a taboo to discuss the subject in public and the campaign against it had witnessed stiff resistance from the communities, including women, with both verbal and physical attacks on the activists.
The practice is done for various reasons, including reducing the sexual desire of a woman to avoid promiscuity and purification of women.
However, the rough times appear to be rapidly fading away and enlightenment of its dangers and lack of justification is seeping though.
After series of training, the National Assembly in 2010 declared intention to support any bill that prohibits FGM in The Gambia.
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh who had once forbidden the discussion of the topic in public can also be quoted as saying that he is not in support of the practice.
Although some international protocols such as the CEDAW, which Gambia signed and ratified clearly outlawed all forms of harmful traditional practices, rights activists believe that there is a crisis in its application.
With virtually no law in place to prohibit the practice, reports have it that that some women from neighbouring Senegal, where it has been outlawed, are coming into The Gambia to circumcise their girls.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Detained for 24 hours at the Police Headquarters in Banjul, the former deputy editor-in-chief and head of sports desk of the Daily Observer newspaper has being released on bail to an amount of D100,000 and one Gambian surety who must deposit his identity card with the Banjul Magistrate’ s Court. .
Nanama Keita is charged with giving false information to a public officer but has denied the accusation before Magistrate Ade Taiwo Alagbe.
He is accused of presenting a petition letter to the Office of the President at the State House, claiming wrongful dismissal as the deputy editor-in-chief and head of sports desk and financial malpractices by the Managing Director of the Daily Observer, knowing same to be false.
Lawyer Lamin Camara, after the plea of the accused made a bail application and prosecutor Sainey Joof did not make any objection.
The case continues July 19, 2011 for hearing.

The criminal trial of Dodou Sanneh former reporter of the state owned television, Gambia Radio and Television Services, GRTS which is underway at the Banjul Magistrate’s Court has been adjourned by Magistrate Ma-Nyima Bojang due to the absence of the prosecution witness in court.
Sanneh is facing a one count charged of giving false information to a public officer that he was wrongfully terminated after almost five years.
He found himself in a legal tussle when he wrote a petition to the Office of the President concerning his ‘unlawful’ termination.
Dodou Sanneh denied giving any false information.
When the case resumed yesterday, prosecutor Sainey Joof told the court that his witnesses are not in court.

Neneh Jallow a woman who has been thrown out of her husband’s house by the husband’s brothers was abandoned in a situation of pennilessness. The woman explained her baffling story to Women’s Bantaba. Abused by her former husband and left impoverished, Neneh’s ordeal is synonymous to a real guinea pig of extreme violation of rights.
This is Neneh’s unequivocal explanation of her sad experience.
“I could not still believe if it was an order from my husband, because it is sad to hear that my husband was the mastermind and could not tell me.”
“I was kicked out of his house by his brothers without a penny” Says Neneh Jallow.
“I was harassed, beaten and finally kicked out of my husband’s house” Neneh Jallow told Women’s Bantabaa in watery eyes.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

﻿ Mr Modou Sanyang, director general of state-owned Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) said, his institution does not play with State House matters, especially concerning the head of state.
GRTS boss made this remark yesterday while testifying against former GRTS reporter facing trial on charges of false information.
Mr Dodou Sanneh’s services at the state broadcaster were terminated in 2007 for ‘bias’ reportage while covering opposition-UDP’s 2009 presidential political rallies.
Mr Sanneh however said, his services were wrongfully terminated. His prosecution came when he petitioned GRTS management to the office of the president to the effect.
“His [Mr Sanneh] first termination was due to insubordination,” Mr Modou Sanyang testified at the magistrates’ court in Banjul yesterday.
He said, Mr Sanneh failed to submit report on a courtesy call he was assigned to cover at State house.
“I could not take that! We don’t play with State house matters, especially when it involved the head state,” GRTS boss told the court.

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About Me

Binta A Bah is a young Gambian journalists/blogger who is excited, on the sustainability reporting front which she took as massive a headway as a career. She is the publisher of women’s Bantabaa, an online blog which focuses on human rights, particularly women’s right, press freedom and freedom of expression. She started the journalism trade with The Daily News in 2009 while pursuing a one year certificate course in journalism at Insight Training Center. She hold a diploma in journalism. At The Daily News, she rose through the ranks to become a senior judicial affairs correspondent. She has a vast experience of covering high profile cases including treason trials. She run the ‘Musoolula Bantabaa’ on the Daily News, a weekly column that focuses on women’s affairs. In 2011, she was awarded The Daily News Journalist of the year. She now works with the Standard Newspaper as an associate editor following the closure of The Daily News by state authorities.